The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-09-17
MUSIC BOXES.
.Jewelry News

"There is a great demand for musi- cial boxes from China," said dealer .'The Chinese are passionstely fond of them. and at festival a Chinaman who can afford it carries a music box in each pocket"
 "What music do they like best?"
 All Chinese music: they will have no other The sweetest strains from sTrovatore,' sMignon' and Faust are as sweet bells tangled and out of tune to a Chinaman. We have to employ men who can reduce the Chinese music to written notes, and from this as copy the music box is made, We have to make up different set for every country. If we should send boxes to France that played Nellie Grey Way Down on the Suwanee River 'When You and l Were Young, Maggie or Sweet By-and- By we should get them back quick enough.
 "National airs are the first tunes chosen, then the popular tunes, and then selections from famous operas. Scotch tunes, except 'Auld Lang Syne' and Bonnie D6on,' are difficult to rem der effectively by music box, and they are rarely used. The great ex- pense in the manufacture of music boxes arises from the necessity of changing the tunes, discarding those that are tiresome and substituting the latest and most popular. But sit down while we talk"
 The writer took a seat, and the c.tIN 1.l .t( t,s% floated from beneath the chair.
 "Have cigar?" He turned a cigar stand, and there came out of it the air of the drinking song in "Girofe-Gi- rofia."
 "This is the picture of our Swiss factory" As the album was opened there came out of it an air from ''Fra Diavolo."
 twill you take pinch of snufl?''
 AS the lid was raised there was a hisper of ''Should Aud Acquaint- ance be Forgot?"
 We have customer who has a music-box attachment to his front door, and his visitors are always greeted by a tune. A music box can be concealed in a very small compass, and one of the reigning demands is for articles that contain them, so as to create pleasant surprises. Dolls, clocks and books arc provided with them Nearly all of the music boxes are made in Sainte Croix or Geneva, in Switzcr- land.
 ''The principle of manufacture is simple. The different parts comprise brass roller studded with fine points of the hardest steel. steel comb, the teeth of which give the sounds, a spring to give the revolving motion to the cylinder, and ily-wheel or fan to regulate the revolving motlon. The music has at first to be arranged by thorough artist. The cylinder, which comes from the machine shop. is then placed in the hands of woman, who, with the aid of the music and very ingenious machine, marks the places on the cylinder where the points are to be inserted. Another person inserts the points. The cylinder is then filled with molten cement: and then placed on the lathe and revolved quickly. The cement adheres to the inside surface. and thus holds the points. 4 hole is left ;n the centre of the cylinder for the axis. The points are then filed down SD as to be of equal length. The comb Is tuned by tuner, who first files the teeth. with out excessive care, to give them the proper fiexibility, and then files them near the base to lower the tones and near the point to sharpen the tones. The operation of fastening the cylinder and comb to the bed plate requires much accuracy so that the points of the cylinder and the comb will ex- acty meet. A woman following the music then bends the points on the cylinder slightly forward in order to secure more strength, but more es- pecially to make the cords drop sim ultaneously and cause the runs or roulades to be played evenly.
 "Size in music boxes increases both their volumes and their richness in tone A cylinder ten inches long can De made to play six, eight, ten or